Which mods should I consider next?

[scott015]

How many mods is too much? I guess some of you people, there is no such thing as too much... well I am restrained for a few reasons, one reason is I dont have a ton of money laying around to buy everything in sight, another is a 4 letter word..

W.I.F.E.

(im sure some of you know all about that)

so that being said... which mods are realistic... i mean, which should I seriously consider... iv heard some say certain mods are useless until you get closer to the 500hp mark... well i dont know if I will ever be at 500hp... its a daily driver and I like to baby her... dont even take to the track... but got beat by a camero other day and im embarassed... wanna sup her up a little more...


FTVB
Heat Exchanger
3.73 gears (i have 2000)
Efan/Cobra R pump combo
Super OR Power Cooler
Throttle Body
Apten Ported Eaton
Torque Converter
full long tube headers + exhaust

i was thinking the efan/heat exchanger/power cooler would all be good options since we are in texas....i realize they would help cool the engine and run better... but would I REALLY tell the difference... would it make more HP??

[cpeapea]

torque converter is only good for the track, heat exchanger might be good for hot lapping at the track, so i say best bang for the buck is either a ported eaton or efan/pump combo. long tubes are nice but pricey and have minimal gains. ron said he only got 8hp from his full exhaust

[99WhiteBeast]

Scott,

Considering your limitations (WIFE) and your decision not to track race you should:
1. Get to the dyno
2. Get the chip reburned

You'll be plenty happy after that I'm sure. You have the making of a high 12 sec truck that should be pushing close to 400HP with your current mods.

The FTVB is a good mod to help the tranny last longer and firm up those shifts for a small outlay of cash.

[PoorSvtman]

Scott,

Considering your limitations (WIFE) and your decision not to track race you should:
1. Get to the dyno
2. Get the chip reburned

You'll be plenty happy after that I'm sure. You have the making of a high 12 sec truck that should be pushing close to 400HP with your current mods.

The FTVB is a good mod to help the tranny last longer and firm up those shifts for a small outlay of cash.


Yea get that chip reburned!
Scott and i just raced about 5 times and id say about 2 times i pulled him pretty good. The other times he pulled first and i started catching up pretty fast.
All i have is a 2lb, FTVB, airraid and full bassani exhaust. But i need a chip. My L falls on its face on the 1-2 shift. But i can tell it wants to shift hard and fast :burnout:

Hes got a 4lb, chip, flowmasters, JLP ram air (think)

[Nuhklz]

A Union 76 antenna ball :tu:. I read where this mod won't void the waranty :D

[QIK KAT]

no,no,no!
I think the jack antena ball is much more aero dynamic. And there free with any combo meal purchace.:D

[bobbywade69]

Just get a KENNE BELL :tu:

[QIK KAT]

Cha,CHING!:eek2:

[03'svtlight]

Yea get that chip reburned!
Scott and i just raced about 5 times and id say about 2 times i pulled him pretty good. The other times he pulled first and i started catching up pretty fast.
All i have is a 2lb, FTVB, airraid and full bassani exhaust. But i need a chip. My L falls on its face on the 1-2 shift. But i can tell it wants to shift hard and fast :burnout:

Hes got a 4lb, chip, flowmasters, JLP ram air (think)
flowmasters???? :nono: I've got a tombstone waiting for them over here. :vomit: :Bullshit That might be one of the first things you need to change based on everything Ive read and been told. :cool:

[tliss]

My thoughts below:


How many mods is too much? I guess some of you people, there is no such thing as too much... well I am restrained for a few reasons, biggest is a 4 letter word..

W.I.F.E. - I've got one of these too. A mod that will give your truck no gains at all, and will actually take away from your mod pot. Try mods that she will not know are there....most of the married guys have done this (you know who you are)...:tongue:

so that being said... which mods are realistic... i mean, which should I seriously consider... iv heard some say certain mods are useless until you get closer to the 500hp mark... well i dont know if I will ever be at 500hp... its a daily driver and I like to baby her... dont even take to the track... but got beat by a camero other day and im embarassed... wanna sup her up a little more...


FTVB - this is a good one....I have the line mod valve...it all depends on how hard you are going to work your tranny
Heat Exchanger - I am considering this one, but not sure of the gains...good for the heat at the track but the daily romp may not be worth it
3.73 gears (i have 2000) - I've got a '01, so I all ready have these. Everyone that has made the swap appears to be happy...maybe go with 4.10s just to outdo everyone :d
Efan/Cobra R pump combo - This is my next mod hands down. I think out of this list, this will provide the most gains
Super OR Power Cooler - similar to answer for heat exchanger....good for the track, but daily driving it will be useless
Throttle Body - Another of my next mods. A little pricey for the bling factor and minimal gains, but there are a few gains to be had here
Apten Ported Eaton - No opinion....it's still the Eaton...if you're going to do this, just pull it off and replace it with a Kenne Bell
Torque Converter - Loss of rear wheel horsepowr, but slight gain on times at the track. No benefit in daily driving that I have heard of
full long tube headers + exhaust - Bling factor ++, and some gains. This is mainly for sound; the long tubes will add some power, but not much.

i was thinking the efan/heat exchanger/power cooler would all be good options since we are in texas....i realize they would help cool the engine and run better... but would I REALLY tell the difference... would it make more HP??

[scott015]

ya the 40 series cat back flowmaster with all 4 cats still on it.... but thats just the way it was when I bought it.... i think if I ever change it im gonna go all out with the long tubes, etc

i also have a 90 mass air.... so tell me this guys... why am I getting beat by a truck with no chip and only a 2lb when I have a 4lb, chip, 90mass air and johnny lightning ram air ohhh and traction bars???

i do plan on getting the dyno probably next week and then getting the chip reburned... its a for sure... just gotta find time to get there....

[tliss]

ya the 40 series cat back flowmaster with all 4 cats still on it.... but thats just the way it was when I bought it.... i think if I ever change it im gonna go all out with the long tubes, etc

i also have a 90 mass air.... so tell me this guys... why am I getting beat by a truck with no chip and only a 2lb when I have a 4lb, chip, 90mass air and johnny lightning ram air ohhh and traction bars???

i do plan on getting the dyno probably next week and then getting the chip reburned... its a for sure... just gotta find time to get there....
What was your 60' time? I can bet you were spinning like mad off the line.

Tom

[scott015]

iv never taking her to track yet.... me and mike were just kinda playing around on the street... but like he said, we had about 5 good runs.... i seem to do alright in the beginig but once we hit about 50+ he was gaining on me and would pass me everytime.....

the previous owner said he took the truck to the track only one time... and ran it 2-3 times, said best he got was a 13.3 but i dont know his 60 times

[Silver_2000]

The reason you got beat was either he was lying about what he had or he hooked up better than you.

With your wife restriction I wouldnt do ANY of the mods you mentioned except maybe the valve body. None of them except the valve body will gove you ANY seat of the pants difference. As was stated before the rest are simply not worth it.... I have 3.73's in mine but it cost 800 or so including install ... Tough to say if its worth it .... And I have no wife to hide stuff from.... And I have LOTS of mods..

IN my opinion the ONLY mods that give significant bang for the buck and seat of the pants difference are

Chip
Filter
Pulley
Line mod or valve body
Slicks
Kenne Bell

EVERYTHING else is incremental increases for LOTS more $$$

[03'svtlight]

What was your 60' time? I can bet you were spinning like mad off the line.

Tom
Just like Tom said..........If I were to stomp my truck off the line it would spin all the way from 1st gear through second nearing 3rd.I simply can't race from a dead stop. From 40mph jumping on it,it would kick down to 1st and spin on the 1-2 shift. So that might be your prob.

[03'svtlight]

If you wanna test what you have against that same Z, try going from about a 40mph punch. That would minimize the spinning and show up what you both have. A 12sec. truck can run a 14 if he sits in the hole 2sec. Its like someone has slipped two blocks of ice under both rear tires. If you were to run from a roll, you should be able to pull away, provided his car is near stock. Good Luck!! :tu:

[scott015]

well i know hes not lying about his truck.. its mike from talon... ya know poorsvtman... i was going to his house last night to fix my fog light and then do my fuel filter....

we actually only went from a dead stop race 1 time...the other few times were actually a roll on.... like i said, i think from the very begining when we first got on it, we were very even, i may have even had a slight advantage... but after a few seconds he would gain on me and the eventually pass me....

im gonna get the chip reburned and dyno for sure, but just not sure how much a difference that will make... but guess we will find out

[03LightningRocks]

The reason you got beat was either he was lying about what he had or he hooked up better than you.

I would vote for diver experience. You really do get better at racing the more you practice.

I wouldnt do ANY of the mods you mentioned except maybe the valve body.

And this one is mostly for fun if your not racing the clock.

Tough to say if its worth it .... And I have no wife to hide stuff from.... And I have LOTS of mods..

I have noticed that in allot of cases, the single guys seem to be able to piss away more money on worthless mods than the married guys. The wife is probably saving you from yourself.

IN my opinion the ONLY mods that give significant bang for the buck and seat of the pants difference are

Chip
Filter
Pulley
Line mod or valve body
Slicks
Kenne Bell

EVERYTHING else is incremental increases for LOTS more $$$

I would agree 100%. The mods usually all combine to compliment each other for minumal gains at ever increasing costs per H.P. Unless you plan to run it at the track, save the money. Your truck should beat most street driven vehicles as it sits. Hell, stock my truck was tearing up the town.



Rocks:tu:

[SILVER2000SVT]

Scott,

I just put the Electric Fan and Water pump on mine this past weekend, it makes a pretty good difference.

The throttle body makes the truck a lot more fun to drive, although not much more top end HP for the money, IMO it makes up for it in throttle response and driveability. I'm not running one right now, but I have borrowed one before when one of the guys truck was in the body shop, and I hated to give it back.

I think there are some different opinions on what a full exhaust will do for you. But what I have seen is that it doesn't give you a whole lot on the top end, but I've read some of the posts on F150online and they overlayed some dyno sheets and the top end gain may only be 8-12rhp but lower in the rpm band they were seeing a lot more hp.

BTW, How's that amp and speakers working for you, and can you tell a difference with the boost bypass?

Jason

[Silver_2000]

Most throttle bodies only throttle response change is due to a different return spring that makes the pedal feel different

Exhaust is ONLY worth it if you want the sound
$1500 or more for souynd is fine for us single guys who like to piss away money...

[scott015]

Jason,

i emailed you guys but I only knew Alans email.

Anyway, amp and speakers sound great... thanks again!!! But i do need some bass now... not that I wanna be cracking peoples windshields... but its just too much highs... I ordered an empty thunderform... should be getting it soon, then gonna order 2 JL Audio 10s... then another amp and Ill be over again :)

but what I emailed Alan and said was... i dont know what it is, if its the amp install or the boost bypass we did that night... but I do hear more engine whine... actually its not real super bad... but its there and it wasnt there before... its not the whine from the supercharger... i can hear it at very low RPM.... but like i said, it wasnt there before that night... not sure if its the boost bypass doing it or the amp... but either way, its there.... any thoughts?

and as for the bypass... yes I belive I actually can "feel" the difference that night... now I cant cuz im used to it... but i think i actually knew it was different

[PoorSvtman]

Yea all i have is a 2lb, FTVB, bassani headers, high flow cats, x pipe and mufflers. I have been racing and street racing for quite some time. Dunno guess i got one of those Ls that were just put together perfectly. :d

But what kills me is how the computer cuts out 4 cylinders and with the FTVB it kinda falls on its face for a split second. :flaming:

Steve, jacob,bobby, and a few otheres here now thats all i have.

[Band]

iv never taking her to track yet.... me and mike were just kinda playing around on the street... but like he said, we had about 5 good runs.... i seem to do alright in the beginig but once we hit about 50+ he was gaining on me and would pass me everytime.....

the previous owner said he took the truck to the track only one time... and ran it 2-3 times, said best he got was a 13.3 but i dont know his 60 times

http://www.talonclub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4139

This may help you diagnose the problem :D

[Crawford]

Scott,

Here is my worthless opinion:

FTVB - This is a good mod, messy install but worth it
Heat Exchanger - Wouldnt bother, very expensive
3.73 gears (i have 2000) - Also too expensive, quite a few guys going VERY fast on 3.55s... right Mark?
Efan/Cobra R pump combo - This is a decent mod, install is a PITA and its expensive, gains are minimal, MPG will increase slightly.
Super OR Power Cooler - Wouldnt bother, track mod
Throttle Body - Waste of money. (I know, I have one)
Apten Ported Eaton - Dont know about this one...
Torque Converter - Pretty expensive, track mod
full long tube headers + exhaust - Very expensive, minimal gains.

What kind of chip do you have? Getting a reburn could be the answer to your problems. I would go ahead with the FTVB, its a good mod. Other than that Doug is right on with his mod list.

Chip - With a good tune from a competant tuner
Filter - I would go with a "ram" air kit, why not...
Pulley - Wouldnt go beyond a #4 in my opinion
Line mod or valve body - Shifts good protects tranny
Slicks - If you are going to use slicks you need traction bars or kiss your shaft goodbye
Kenne Bell - If you can afford it tear it up!

Good luck, let us know what you decide to do!

[scott015]

im not sure what brand chip it is, but its tuned by Sal at PSP.....

[Alpine]

You would'nt even be having this conversation if you would get a new damn chip!!......that chip you have is old school. Go to Terry, tell him what you have, and I promise you that he will hook you up. That chip you have is the problem.:hammer: I would let you borrow mine, but we would have to change out the maf and you would see the difference. Please go get a new chip.:D :tu:

Jeff.

[Crawford]

The chip you have is an Autologic chip and those are great chips. I would send the chip to Danny Swanson and have him put new programs on it. This is your least expensive route and it is my opinion that Swanson is the best Lightning tuner out there when it comes to chip programs. His number is 310-787-7800. I run his stuff and so does Dennis. I think a few others are planning to migrate also. If you call him, tell him that TALON sent ya! :tu:

[blueoval01]

Curious to know the difference between AutoLogic and a SuperChip? :confused:

Degrading grey cells need to know ....... :D

[Silver_2000]

Curious to know the difference between AutoLogic and a SuperChip? :confused:

Degrading grey cells need to know ....... :Dsame as diff between ford and chevy - att and cingular

[blueoval01]

same as diff between ford and chevy - att and cingularJust as I thought.
Personal preference and a good "Tuner" to program them. :banana:

[02BOLT]

Hey Scott...Rob here...
I stopped by your office a couple weeks ago with Steve to talk to you about your truck, and to try and get you pointed in the right direction.

I don't consider myself an authority on the subject, all I can do is tell you what I've learned from my experiences with my truck.

I have just about every bolt on mod you can put on one of these damn trucks. I have about 30 dyno pulls in various states of tune, 100+ dragstrip passes, and countless encounters on the street with unsuspecting "fast" cars". I have tried several different combinations throughout the truck's evolution to its current state of tune. My advice to you is the same it was several weeks ago...

1. Dyno the truck NOW...to get a baseline.
2. Call Terry and get a good chip from him(this way if you ever change your current set-up you can SIMPLY take it to Terry and have him reburn it versus having to play the "Ship and Wait" game.) This may be a little more expensive initially, BUT it will save you money in the long run!
The chip is the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT mod! The file on that chip has a bigger effect on the power output of your truck than ANY other single mod, or all of them combined! You can have all the bolt-ons in the world, but if the file on the chip is lousy, then the truck will NOT run worth a crap!:eek2:
3. I like the E-fan simply because it helps make more power, while simultaneously reducing the parasitic drag on the front of the motor, which enables the motor to operate more efficiently.
4. I don't believe the gains you'd see from 3.73's would justify the expense. Stick with the 3.55's.
5. You can have your S/C ported for damn near the same price as a throttle body(In other words, I'd hold off on the T-body for now)
6. Hold off on the converter, unless you plan on running slicks A LOT. You can easily get well into the 12's w/o a stall. Furthermore, a stall makes it much HARDER to hook up on street tires.

Bottom line: The chip is the key! Get a strong file and I promise you'll be happy! After that I'd choose bolt-ons that will make the truck more efficient and more fun to drive.

Sorry 'bout the novel...
Later,
Rob:burnout:

[Alpine]

Hey Scott...Rob here...
I stopped by your office a couple weeks ago with Steve to talk to you about your truck, and to try and get you pointed in the right direction.

I don't consider myself an authority on the subject, all I can do is tell you what I've learned from my experiences with my truck.

I have just about every bolt on mod you can put on one of these damn trucks. I have about 30 dyno pulls in various states of tune, 100+ dragstrip passes, and countless encounters on the street with unsuspecting "fast" cars". I have tried several different combinations throughout the truck's evolution to its current state of tune. My advice to you is the same it was several weeks ago...

1. Dyno the truck NOW...to get a baseline.
2. Call Terry and get a good chip from him(this way if you ever change your current set-up you can SIMPLY take it to Terry and have him reburn it versus having to play the "Ship and Wait" game.) This may be a little more expensive initially, BUT it will save you money in the long run!
The chip is the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT mod! The file on that chip has a bigger effect on the power output of your truck than ANY other single mod, or all of them combined! You can have all the bolt-ons in the world, but if the file on the chip is lousy, then the truck will NOT run worth a crap!:eek2:
3. I like the E-fan simply because it helps make more power, while simultaneously reducing the parasitic drag on the front of the motor, which enables the motor to operate more efficiently.
4. I don't believe the gains you'd see from 3.73's would justify the expense. Stick with the 3.55's.
5. You can have your S/C ported for damn near the same price as a throttle body(In other words, I'd hold off on the T-body for now)
6. Hold off on the converter, unless you plan on running slicks A LOT. You can easily get into well into the 12's w/o a stall. Furthermore, a stall makes it much HARDER to hook up on street tires.

Bottom line: The chip is the key! Get a strong file and I promise you'll be happy! After that I'd choose bolt-ons that will make the truck more efficient and more fun to drive.

Sorry 'bout the novel...
Later,
Rob:burnout:Rob said it much better than I did. Scott, sorry if I was beeing rude in my earlier post, that was not my intentions. I just want you to get the most enjoyment out of your truck as you can, and I think if you follow this advice you will be really happy with your truck:tu:
Jeff.

[scott015]

just wanted to say thanks guys for all the advice. I cant make it up to Speedworks this weekend cuz wife and I are leaving town again... seems like all we ever do is visit family. But I might try and sneak out of work sometime tomorrow and run up there.... As much as I would love to meet some of you guys up there and dyno our trucks together, I just dont see it happening. With my hectic work schedule, its darn near impossible for me to make any sort of plans during the week. But I will have it dyno'd for sure either tomorrow (Fri) or very early next week.... Then I think im either gonna call Sal at PSP or that Autologic guy mentioned earlier to have them reburn it...

then for future refrences, i think these are the only mods on my "want list": efan/pump, ftvb, long tube headers and throttle body....

with those mods, plus the ones I have plus a nice chip tune... what do ya think my truck would be producing? And which of those mods would require a reburn? obviously the throttle body but which of the others would?

again, thanks guys... yall are the best!! i hope to see you guys at the next hallsvile or track day... i want to take it at least once to see what I can do

[PoorSvtman]

just wanted to say thanks guys for all the advice. I cant make it up to Speedworks this weekend cuz wife and I are leaving town again... seems like all we ever do is visit family. But I might try and sneak out of work sometime tomorrow and run up there.... As much as I would love to meet some of you guys up there and dyno our trucks together, I just dont see it happening. With my hectic work schedule, its darn near impossible for me to make any sort of plans during the week. But I will have it dyno'd for sure either tomorrow (Fri) or very early next week.... Then I think im either gonna call Sal at PSP or that Autologic guy mentioned earlier to have them reburn it...

then for future refrences, i think these are the only mods on my "want list": efan/pump, ftvb, long tube headers and throttle body....

with those mods, plus the ones I have plus a nice chip tune... what do ya think my truck would be producing? And which of those mods would require a reburn? obviously the throttle body but which of the others would?

again, thanks guys... yall are the best!! i hope to see you guys at the next hallsvile or track day... i want to take it at least once to see what I can do


Glad we all could help. Scott you going to the meet tonight? Im probly gonna follow bobby out there so if you want to go hit me up.

[Band]

Hey Scott,

I'm gonna try to get my truck dyno'd tomorrow.

[scott015]

Mike, i might head up there, not sure yet if we are leaving town tomorrow after work or early Sat... ill let you know... if i do go, ill follow you guys

Sayle, you plan to go to Speedworks? if so, what time you thinking of going? If ya go for sure, ill try to make plans to make it a for sure to go tomorrow.... let me know if ya are gonna go

[Band]

Sayle, you plan to go to Speedworks? if so, what time you thinking of going? If ya go for sure, ill try to make plans to make it a for sure to go tomorrow.... let me know if ya are gonna go

Yeah, same one they went to on the 3rd last Saturday. I believe it was in lewisville. I'll be off all day tomorrow, so whenever is cool with me. I would like to get it done early in the morning before it gets warm :twitch: But I'm no morning person :hammer: 11 am would be the earliest i could commit too.

[PoorSvtman]

Mike, i might head up there, not sure yet if we are leaving town tomorrow after work or early Sat... ill let you know... if i do go, ill follow you guys

Sayle, you plan to go to Speedworks? if so, what time you thinking of going? If ya go for sure, ill try to make plans to make it a for sure to go tomorrow.... let me know if ya are gonna go



well the meet is tonight in case you didnt know. If you go just give me a call and u can meet up with us.

[PoorSvtman]

Scott if you want to go tonight be at my house by 6ish or call me

[STEALTH02]

Yeah, same one they went to on the 3rd last Saturday. I believe it was in lewisville. I'll be off all day tomorrow, so whenever is cool with me. I would like to get it done early in the morning before it gets warm :twitch: But I'm no morning person :hammer: 11 am would be the earliest i could commit too.

I plan on going there tomorrow, maybe I'll see a few other L's there :tu:

[Band]

I plan on going there tomorrow, maybe I'll see a few other L's there :tu:

12 noon is the time we have now.

[02BOLT]

Scott,
Of the mods you mentioned (E-fan/Water pump, Throttle body, and Long Tubes), the Long Tubes are the only mod that may require a reburn, due to the oxygen sensors being relocated further downstream. The E-fan and Throttle body DO NOT require a reburn.

In reference to power production, with a 4lb lower, E-fan, Chip(fairly aggressive file), Long Tubes, Throttle Body, Cold Air Intake etc...I'd estimate the power to be upwards of 390-420 at the wheels, give or take. Torque to be between 490 and 520. This is all dependent on how well the truck responds to the file on the chip.

My truck with those same mods(excluding the long tubes) made 422rwhp(SAE) and 518rwtq(SAE) with a pretty aggressive pump gas tune and an air/fuel ratio of 12.2:1(which is as lean as you'd want to get with pump gas and a 4lb lower).

BTW...Don't forget to go to at least a one step colder sparkplug.:tu:
(Denso IT-20 or NGK TR6)

Later,
Rob:burnout:

[STEALTH02]

Scott,
Of the mods you mentioned (E-fan/Water pump, Throttle body, and Long Tubes), the Long Tubes are the only mod that may require a reburn, due to the oxygen sensors being relocated further downstream. The E-fan and Throttle body DO NOT require a reburn.

In reference to power production, with a 4lb lower, E-fan, Chip(fairly aggressive file), Long Tubes, Throttle Body, Cold Air Intake etc...I'd estimate the power to be upwards of 390-420 at the wheels, give or take. Torque to be between 490 and 520. This is all dependent on how well the truck responds to the file on the chip.

My truck with those same mods(excluding the long tubes) made 422rwhp(SAE) and 518rwtq(SAE) with a pretty aggressive pump gas tune and an air/fuel ratio of 12.2:1(which is as lean as you'd want to get with pump gas and a 4lb lower).

BTW...Don't forget to go to at least a one step colder sparkplug.:tu:
(Denso IT-20 or NGK TR6)

Later,
Rob:burnout:

Rob

I have the same mods as yourself however I have a 6lb pulley, no t-body and made 393 HP pump gas, where did you get your truck dynoed? Would you recommend I get a reburn since I added the e-fan and will add a t-body. My a/f was about 12.